Recruitment and Selection Process: A Case Study of Howdens Joinery

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the staff recruitment and selection process, focusing on Howdens Joinery. It begins with an acknowledgement and abstract, followed by a detailed table of contents. The introduction provides background information on the company and its need for effective recruitment to address business challenges. The report outlines aims and objectives, followed by a literature review covering management plans and work breakdown structures. Data analysis includes secondary research and a small-scale study with quantitative and qualitative analyses, including survey and interview data. The findings are presented, leading to conclusions and recommendations for improving recruitment practices. The report concludes with a reflective analysis, bibliography, and a Gantt chart illustrating the recruitment timeline. The study emphasizes the importance of strategic recruitment for business growth and competitive advantage, highlighting the role of HR in selecting suitable candidates and optimizing costs.

OFFICE RECRUITMENT PERSONNEL FOR JOBS
STUDENT NAME:
STUDENT ID:
UNIVERSITY:
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Acknowledgement
Developing this research is one of my best experiences in my life. It provides me the opportunity
to enhance the knowledge and analytical skill. I would like to thank my
supervisor ................................................... for the constant guidance and support during the
process of this research. Finally, I would like to thank professionals from Howdens Joinery who
have participated during the research survey provided the valuable inputs and inspired me
throughout the research process.
Heartfelt Thanks and warmest wishes,
Yours Sincerely,
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Abstract
The study focuses on the recruitment and selection process which is conducted in a small
business entity. It also discovers various background related information, which is necessary for
conduct of business in this particular industry. Various management plans are constructed for
development of a strong and sturdy infrastructure. In this study a proper and effective survey has
been made for gathering data related to work efficiency of the employees. Apart from this for
gathering qualitative data an interview has been conducted for collecting information regarding
their employee recruitment issues. Moreover, a secondary data analysis has been made on
existing literature based on recruitment process and its importance for the improvement of
overall performance of an organization.
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Table of content
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................5
1.1 Aims and objectives...................................................................................................................6
1.1.1 Aim.........................................................................................................................................6
1.1.2 Objectives...............................................................................................................................6
2. Literature Review................................................................................................6
2.1 Management Plan......................................................................................................................6
2.2 Work breakdown structure........................................................................................................7
3. Data Analysis and Findings................................................................................8
3.1 Secondary Research Analysis....................................................................................................8
3.2 Small-scale research with qualitative and quantitative analysis (Data Analysis)....................10
3.2.1 Part A – Quantitative analysis..............................................................................................10
3.2.2 Part B – Qualitative analysis.................................................................................................14
4. Conclusion and Recommendation....................................................................14
4.1 Recommendations....................................................................................................................14
4.2 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................16
5. Reflective analysis..............................................................................................16
5.1 Self Reflection.........................................................................................................................16
Bibliography...........................................................................................................18
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1. Introduction
Staff recruitment process is a very crucial part of each and every company because only correct
recruitments can change the company scenario. For this report, ‘Howdens Joinery’ has been
chosen for making effective discussions regarding its staff recruitment problems. The company
was founded in 1995, and it has a net income of 175.4 million GBP. After 2015, business started
to fall due to a lack of proper coordination in the management hierarchy.
Figure 1: logo of Howdens Joinery
(Source: Co., H. 2017)
Now, the company needs to hire some suitable candidates for it to run its business efficiently.
Workers must be effective and efficient. Effective workers can provide positive outcomes.
Human Resource manager is responsible for the entire process of recruitment and hiring. For the
selection of candidates, the company has to bear a cost. HR department prepares the
compensation structure by following rules of the company.
A Company will always try to hire suitable candidates at a minimum cost. Sometimes, after
negotiating with candidates, the company decides compensation. Nowadays, in a perfectly
competitive market, companies should preferably make a CTC structure in such a way that
minimizes costs. Whenever it is difficult for a company to identify candidates, it may hire them
temporarily for a time period ranging from three months to one year. The ultimate motive is to
judge their capacity and their attitude towards work. A person unable to undertake a specific
workload has to quit the job after some days. Interview processes cannot always judge
candidates in the best way. Hiring casuals become useful in this regard. Whether the company
can successfully hire candidates or not depends on its own decision. Its strategy making
processes can help to boost its business in order to achieve ultimate success.
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1.1 Aims and objectives
1.1.1 Aim
The aim of this project is to recruit effective staffs in Howdens joinery for developing a strong
framework and gaining advantage from this competitive market place.
1.1.2 Objectives
● to critically evaluate the effectiveness of recruiting efficient staffs.
● to analyse the impact of human resources in gaining competitive advantage
● to critically examine the significance of staff recruitment in business growth
● to understand the efficacy of staff recruitment in attaining the goals of Howdens Joinery
● to recommend the best possible ways that can help them in recruiting best-suited
personnel for getting a better outcome
2. Literature Review
2.1 Management Plan
A proper management plan is created to effectively analyse all those areas which can be
improved for recruitment of efficient personnel. Asiedu-Appiah et al. (2013, p.15) agreed that
this will help in developing a proper infrastructure and increase the company strength. there are
several criteria for this process.
Advertising
the primary qualification of production of a proper planning is to give out a proper and effective
advertising. The advertisement for recruitment should be highly persuasive in nature for pulling
the best talents in the market into the company.
Recruitment process
the following of a proper process in recruitment is necessary. the recruitment process should
consist of a proper framework of different stages. Those stages should be made clear to the
personnel who are interested in the job. Caine, K. and Hanania (2013, p.12) opined that that
recruitment process should consist of an evaluation of skills and merits of the candidates and
along with that their mental and physical efficiency which is required for the given job. The
agility of the staffs needs to be evaluated in this process. At last the recruitment process should
consist of an individual interview process so that the individual appearance and conducts of
candidates can be tested and evaluated.
Positioning of employee
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the recruitment process should have to be divided according to the post and position of the
employees required by the company. This will bring transparency in the overall process. those
candidates who possess high merits and academic knowledge are to be recruited in higher
positions while those who do not proper knowledge of background is to be recruited in
subordinate posts.
Scope
Those who have to be recruited in this process have to properly analyse those points which will
bring them a stability in their infrastructure. This will enable them to build a strong efficiency
within the infrastructure. Espey and Boys (2015, p.395) said that it will eventually enable them
to flourish in the global competition.
Skills
They have to include a proper scale in their recruitment process. this will include only the top
talents in their recruitment process. they will have to mention in their advertisement about those
skills and talents which they want in their company infrastructure.
Resource
It is necessary for finding and recruiting of personnel who could be best fitted for the offered job.
Cost
it is very important to consider all those points related to cost. this includes a cost of training to
the personnel. Company turnover and employee wages. It is beneficial to maintain a proper
strength of employee relating to the cost which the management is looking to invest.
Time
the management has to consider the required time period of the overall recruitment process
including the period of training and providing the new recruits with in-depth knowledge about
the working structure of a company.
Measurement of effectivity
After conducting all those steps of recruitment they will have to conduct an internal survey
which will bring out all those areas where this recruitment procedure has fulfilled the shortage of
staffs and also those areas can be identified where the personnel are effectively included (Fabel,
O. and Pascalau, 2013, p.62). This measurement of personnel efficiency will help them in
analysing the working capacity within this company.
2.2 Work breakdown structure
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Main activities 1 – 7
days
7-14
days
14-21
days
21-28
days
28-35
days
35 – 42
days
Finding of issues 
Analysis of issue 
Advertisement 
Evaluation of
resources

Recruitment
process starting

Recruitment
process ending

Analysis of
effectivity

Comparison of
results

(Gantt chart)
(Source: Created by self)
3. Data Analysis and Findings
3.1 Secondary Research Analysis
According to Brewer and Kellough (2016, p.171) mainly total staff recruitment factors are two
types' viz. internal factors and external factors. Internally promoting employees, transferring
employees from one team to another, and resolving a problem by direct interaction with
employees are good methods for increasing productivity of a company. Externally creating an
advertisement in different websites and official gazettes recruitment can be done. As recruitment
processes are vital for each organisation, they have to be done carefully. One should check the
authenticity of information furnished by the candidates in their forms.
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If the form is not suitably filled up, applying candidate should be rejected. Buchan et al. (2014,
p.31) opine that when interview process is the one and only part of selection then that must be
structured well. Unorganised Interview structure can't be too much effective. The elimination
process is a recruitment process where a set of rounds is prepared by the company and each
round is an elimination one. If candidates are more than the demand of a company, it conducts
interviews in specific ways.
As per Christensen (2015, p.649) a company can employ a candidate on a reference basis. Any
one of existing workers of a company can recommend a candidate name for the interview. If the
organisation wants a trustworthy person, then this candidate is selected. An organisation can
appoint a candidate on a part-time or a full-time basis. Another way to select a job seeker is on a
contract basis. In a case of a contractual employment, an employee can't leave the job easily and
company can save CTC.
In the case of a selection process, a company can hire someone on a daily or hourly wage basis.
But this method varies from country to country. Recruitment methods may be newly created
vacancy basis or replacement of old one. According to Cook (2016, p.11) human resource
selection is not an easy process because there are so many factors to be considered at the time of
hiring.
Job descriptions should be clear so that candidates understand their jobs extremely well. The job
description is also an essential part of recruitment. If proper training is given to the employees
then it is very easy to them to know the job procedures. As stated by Castillo et al. (2014, p.832)
management should follow diversification techniques so that people coming from a different
background can get a distinct solution for the same problem. For diversification business
environment analysis, it is very much essential and another part of diversification, diversification
in values. Each and every employee has a unique strong point and a company should identify
that point for proper utilization.
As per Joly (2016, p.163) employee recruitment sometimes depends on project type in a
company. A company will follow some rules in appointing someone. Planning, Strategy
developments, screening these are a crucial part of the selection. Without following a common
set of framework company can't hire efficient workers, Campus recruitment method is a good
method of selecting top students for a company. A minimum qualification has been given by the
company and those who are having minimum qualification can appear in the interview. In such a
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way a large number of job seekers can be reduced to smaller size. The position description is a
concrete method of the selection process. It is used to upgrade the level of interview questions
and interview evaluation. Efficient and effective recruitment both are important parts of
employer and employee relationships. This efficiency is seen in very rare cases. New vacancy
creation may be for new projects in a company, termination of an employee etc. Hiring should be
done in such a manner that job seekers are clearly aware of their primary responsibility. For this,
an Organization has to make good selection committee. Hiring means the development of
company activities and the establishment of human resources. If human resources are not
properly set, it is impossible to a company to run a business.
Doyle and Locke (2014, p.21) opine that E-recruitment is new technology based method which is
used in many companies. Advantages of E-recruitment technique are cost effectiveness, faster
method, and complete findings. Different consultancy firms help a company to get right
candidates. Job seekers can upload their qualification in different websites and company can get
information of job seekers from different websites. A trend of E-recruitment is gradually
increasing day by day.
3.2 Small-scale research with qualitative and quantitative analysis (Data
Analysis)
3.2.1 Part A – Quantitative analysis
(Interview conducted on 25 existing employees of Howdens Joinery)
Q1) Do you think a lack of employee strength is hampering your productivity.
Options Response in % No. of
respondents
Total respondents
Yes 80% 20 25
No 20% 5 25
Table1: Lack of employee Strength Hampering work performance
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Options Yes No
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
Lack of employee strength hampering work
performance
Lack of employee strength
hampering work performance
Figure 1: Lack of employee Strength Hampering work performance
Findings:
After asking this question it is discovered that this company is really going through a major
shortage of employee strength within the organisation. When it is asked to the existing
employees about their work strength about (80%) of the employees responded that they are in
shortage of employee strength and in need of major recruitment process in the company.
Analysis:
Thus it can be said that there is a proper mismanagement in the recruitment process and thereby
affecting its working performances. They have to efficiently conduct a recruitment procedure
and recruit number of staffs so that their employee strength gets increased. This shortage of
employee strength is affecting their productivity and thereby decreasing their workflow.
Q2) Do you think that existing employees are well skilled and are capable of
taking the work pressure?
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Options Response in % No of respondents Total respondents
Strongly Agree 8 % 2 25
Agree 16 % 4 25
Neutral 24 % 6 25
Disagree 32 % 8 25
Strongly Disagree 20 % 5 25
Table2: Ability to exist workers
8% 16%
24%32%
20%
Ability of existing workers
Options
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Figure 2: Ability to exist workers
Findings: It is found that a major portion of the employees disagrees to the fact that the ability
of their existing workers is sufficient enough to fulfil the required criteria.
Analysis: In their recruitment process, they have to involve employees that are more skilled so
that overall production of this company gets increased. They have to increase their working skills
and efficiency within the work process. In order to do so, they have to get information from
various others experienced companies and their managers. They can induct new and experienced
managers in their recruitment process. In this process, they have take help of their existing
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